Abstract: Apparatus comprising: a radio frequency (RF) Robinson oscillator comprising: a resonator comprising a sensor rhumbatron, the sensor rhumbatron comprising a cavity member, the cavity member having a re-entrant boss member, the re-entrant boss member being arranged to project into a cavity portion of the cavity member; a feedback element arranged to provide positive radio frequency (RF) feedback to the cavity member thereby to increase a quality factor Q of the cavity member, the feedback element having first and second terminals coupled to the cavity member, the apparatus being operable to cause the oscillator to oscillate at a resonant frequency; and an output arranged to provide a signal that varies according to a value of at least one electrical parameter of the oscillator, said at least one electrical parameter being selected from amongst an electromagnetic loss and a resonant frequency.

Abstract: A system and method is provided for analyzing and imaging three-dimensional volume data sets. In one embodiment of the invention, a ribbon section is produced which may include a plurality of planes projected from a polyline. The polyline may include one or more line segments preferably formed within a plane. The projected planes intersect the three-dimensional volume data set and the data located at the intersection may be selectively viewed. The polyline may be edited or varied by editing or varying the control points which define the polyline. In another embodiment of the present invention, a method is provided for quickly tracking a physical phenomena represented within the three-dimensional volume data set. A plurality of planes may be successively displayed in the three-dimensional volume data set from which points are digitized related to the structure of interest to create a spline curve on each plane.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for improving the formation of multiple lateral wells in new and pre-existing wellbores, and positive, selective reentry of each lateral well. The apparatus comprises a tubular assembly, which includes an adjustable coupling device and a packer. The method comprises the use of the tubular assembly.

Abstract: Irregular volumes within one or more three-dimensional volume datasets are identified and extracted in response to criteria. The processing involves automatically finding a seed voxel or seed cell that meets the criteria and thus belongs to an irregular volume of interest, and then identifying cells related to the seed cell by one or more predetermined relationships that are therefore also to be grouped into that irregular volume. Information, which can be of any suitable type, identifying each such cell as being related to other cells and belonging to an irregular volume is stored in a suitable data structure. The location or similar neighborhood information and other data describing properties or attributes of the identified cell are also stored. Because the irregular volumes are extracted and pre-processed in this manner, operations including rendering them on a display and performing Boolean and arithmetic operations on them can readily be performed.

Abstract: Systems and methods for displaying volume data on an arbitrary three-dimensional polygonal surface are disclosed. For each polygon in the polygonal surface, a two-dimensional texture tile is created and these texture tiles are combined to form texture atlases. Each texture atlas is allocated a specific amount of memory in a texture cache. Each polygon in the polygonal surface may be scan-converted and the resulting texels may be placed in the texture cache. Voxels that do not intersect any polygon in the polygonal surface may not be scan-converted. This method may result in reduced use of texture cache.

Abstract: A system and methods are disclosed for automatically approximating an editable surface from a 3D data set or a 3D point set, which may be imaged in the form of a NURBS surface.

Abstract: A system and methods for enhancing an image of post-stack seismic data, with pre-stack seismic data features, and displaying the enhanced image with the image of the post-stack seismic data are disclosed.

Abstract: Systems and methods for displaying volume data on an arbitrary three-dimensional polygonal surface are disclosed. For each polygon in the polygonal surface, a two-dimensional texture tile is created and these texture tiles are combined to form texture atlases. Each texture atlas is allocated a specific amount of memory in a texture cache. Each polygon in the polygonal surface may be scan-converted and the resulting texels may be placed in the texture cache. Voxels that do not intersect any polygon in the polygonal surface may not be scan-converted. This method may result in reduced use of texture cache.

Abstract: A system and method for interpreting reverse faults and multiple z-valued seismic horizons. A platform executable on a computer is provided for interpreting seismic data. The platform includes a user input module for accepting user inputs related to interpretation of seismic data and also includes a graphics processing module for displaying to a user graphics related to seismic data. A reverse fault module is provided for enforcing rules governing acceptable multi-z horizon picks. Such rules allow a multiple z-valued horizon to be interpreted as a single horizon. The invention further includes methods for allowing a user to interpret seismic data in a reverse-fault environment. An interpretation of seismic data is displayed and reverse faults and multiple z-valued horizons are created and displayed within the interpretation. A set of reverse-fault environment properties is associated with the reverse faults and the multiple z-valued horizons.

Abstract: Systems and methods for network transmission of three-dimensional graphical data are disclosed. A single graphical application instance can virtually and efficiently exist on multiple local or remote display systems by directly sharing its raw rendered framebuffer memory information among all local or remote graphics accelerators, thus avoiding the need to re-render any application information again on each node. An internal graphics card is used to scale the rendered data prior to transmission. This graphics scaling eliminates the need for data compression or image compression and achieves an adaptive, hardware-accelerated reduction in network bandwidth. Furthermore, since all memory and remote processing support tasks are performed within the graphics card, the CPU, system bus, and memory bandwidth remain available to the system and other applications.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to methods for improving the efficiency of processes for the recovery of natural gas liquids from a gas feed, e.g., raw natural gas or a refinery or petrochemical plant gas stream. These methods may be employed with most, if not all, conventional separation methods using distillation towers, e.g., a demethanizer and/or deethanizer column. The methods of the present invention involve installing an internal refrigeration system consisting of an open cycle refrigerant withdrawn from a distillation column and a closed cycle refrigerant derived from the open cycle refrigeration system. A separator is installed downstream of the recycle compressor discharge cooler in the open cycle refrigeration scheme. At least a portion of liquid withdrawn from this separator is used as a closed cycle refrigerant by indirect heat exchange with the inlet gas or other process streams. Thus a closed refrigeration cycle enhances the performance of the open refrigeration cycle.

Abstract: A method and system are disclosed for creating a combination attribute volume or combo volume by combining one or more attribute volumes into a single volume. For instance, seismic data volumes may be used for creating a combination seismic attribute volume from multiple seismic attribute volumes. This is accomplished by replacing certain of the standard 8-bit data values in a seismic data volume with marker values that denote certain values of other, spatially coincident, seismic attribute data. The resulting combo volume may then be displayed and a seed pick positioned on an event of interest such as a geological body. An auto-picker function or program will then find all the connecting points which will quickly further define the event. The event may then be displayed and interpreted.